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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020 Home 3
Aziz Idris
Stargazers are in for a treat as the Perseids Meteor
Shower will peak in the late hours of today and early
hours of tomorrow.
The Perseids is one of the brighter meteor showers
of the year which occurs annually between July 17 to
August 24 and tends to peak between August 9 to 13.
Made of tiny space debris from the com-
et Swift-Tuttle, the Perseids is named after the
constellation Perseus.
The comet last entered the solar system in 1992
and will not be back until 2126, but the public can still
see the glowing remnants of its tail every year.
The Perseids is widely sought after by astrono-
mers and stargazers because most years at its peak,
one can see 60 to 100 meteors – as long as it is
not cloudy.
Viewed from Earth, the †laming dust and debris
of meteor showers look like “†ireballs” or “falling
stars” streaking across the night sky.
According to the Astronomical Society of Brunei
Darussalam (PABD), it does not matter where, nor is
there a need for a telescope or any special equipment,
but being out of reach of any bright lights will optimise
the show.
“Once you †ind a viewing spot, your eyes may
take 15 to 20 minutes to get used to the dark. Lie
down on the ground, and look up in the direction of
the radiant.
“Use our Interactive Meteor Shower Sky Map or
†ind the current direction of the radiant in the sky,” the
PABD said.
Perseids Meteor Shower
peaks tonight
Wani Roslan
Since its establishment last year,
Manpower Industry Steering
Committee (MISC) Energy has
formed a strong partnership
between the industry, the training
andeducationinstitution-Ministry
of Education (MoE) and Institute
of Brunei Technical Education,
(IBTE) and the regulators -
Ministry of Energy; Petroleum
Authority of Brunei Darusssalam;
the Safety, Health and
Environment National Authority
(SHENA), the Brunei Darussalam
National Accreditation Council
(BDNAC) and Lifelong Learning
Centre to develop the complete
ecosystem for Manpower
Planning and Employment
Council (MPEC), underpinned
by a robust competence
development framework for
the energy industry branded
as iSkill.
This was shared by ICV Man-
ager Brunei Shell Petroleum
Company Sdn Bhd and MISC
Energy Chairman Hajah Rosita
binti Hassan at the Market En-
gagement Day for Training Or-
ganisation at the Prime Minister’s
Of†ice yesterday.
Minister at the Prime Minis-
ter’s Of†ice and Minister of Fi-
nance and Economy II Dato Seri
Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin
Liew bin Abdullah was the guest
of honour.
“The new iSkill Programme
and the ecosystem around it
provide a comprehensive review
of the training and competency
standards, the certi†ication and
assessment requirements.
“The ecosystem goes beyond
classroom training, we are
putting stronger focus on the in-
role development in the industry
with exposure to the real work
environment, while looking after
the welfare of the participants,”
she said.
She shared that the MISC
energy team developed a
competence monitoring app
called ‘SkillUP’, an online
platform that can be used by
various agencies, the industry,
the regulators and employees to
manage and track their career
development.
She underlined that the
registered training organisations
(RTOs) are crucial to the success
of the programmes and the
market engagement event
aimed to showcase to the local
companies information on
the latest manpower demand
in the energy sector as well
as registration process and
guidelines to become a RTOwhich
will enable the organisations
to run IBTE’s programmes.
In the †irst cohort, the
programmes offeredwere iSkillTM
NTEC Level 3 Welding, iSkillTM
ISQ Level 2 Scaffolding, iSkillTM
ISQ Level 2 Riggers, iSkillTM ISQ
Level 2 Blaster Painter, iSkillTM
ISQ Level 2 Marker/Pipe Fitter
and ISQ Level 2 Welding.
More programmes will
be introduced next year
where †ive skills have started
the review namely the
Mechanical Engineering Tech,
Electrical Engineering Tech,
Instrumentation Tech and Plant
Operators and Plant Inspector.
Hajah Rosita explained that the
Market Engagement event was a
platform in sharing information
on the latest labour needs for the
energy sector, sharing information
on IBTE training programmes
that have been updated to meet
industry requirements.
“We want to ensure that after
the end of the training period, our
workforcebecomesindustryready.
IBTEwill offer trainingprogrammes
that will be conducted by training
organisations from local private
companies. The Ministry of
Education/IBTE as well as SHENA
will provide further information
on the registration process
to become a RTO,” she said.
She said the need for skilled
manpower for the energy sector
will increase due to the increase in
activities in the oil and gas industry
and also taking into account
projects that are in the planning.
“Within†iveyears,weneedsome
13,000 skilled workers in the †ield
of construction oil and gas namely
scaffolding, welding, painting
and blasting, riggers and even
marker †itter.
“As for the preparations, we
must ensure that we have a training
organisation or organisation to
provide quality training and meet
the required standards.
“Alhamdulillah, this morning
some 30 local companies
were present. We hope that
they can take this opportunity
as a preparation for them
to register their companies
as RTOs.
“Given the high number
of manpower needs, I see
this as a signi†icant business
opportunity for local companies,”
she said.
Acting Minister of Energy and
a member of the MPEC Working
Committee Dato Seri Paduka
Awang Haji Matsatejo bin Sokiaw,
Deputy Minister of Education and
a member of the MPEC Working
Committee Datin Seri Paduka Dr
Hajah Romaizah binti Haji Mohd
Salleh, and Permanent Secretary
(Industry) at the Ministry of
Finance and Economy and
Chairperson of MISC Pengiran
Hajah Zety Su†ina binti Pengiran
Dato Paduka Haji Sani were
also present.
ICV Manager Brunei Shell Petroleum
Company Sdn Bhd and MISC Energy
Chairperson Hajah Rosita binti
Hassan delivers a speech
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Ofice
and Minister of Finance and Economy
II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd
Amin Liew bin Abdullah speaks at the
Market Engagement Day for
Training Organisation.
PHOTOS: MUIZ MATDANI
Keeping tabs on manpower development
James Kon
Brunei Bridge Authority under the
Ministry of Development informed
the public, especially road users
that sections of Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali
Saifuddien Bridge will be closed for
cutting of trees to be carried out at
the area of Labu Estate.
The cutting of trees will take
around one month to be completed
and will commence at 6am today.
The Brunei Bridge Authority
advised the public to be cautious
when driving past the area and comply
with the speed limit. Diagram shows parts of the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Bridge that will be closed
Sections of Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Bridge closed